iStory:The Private/chapter 302 alternatives

This page notes the different possible versions of chapter 2 of The Private.

All cases (I)

Rachel takes a break from her story when the interviewer leaves temporarily to fetch some coffee. When he returns with his cup and asks Rachel if she wants some, she declines and continues her story when prompted to. Rachel notes that next, her captors dump her in a deep and narrow muddy pit that she cannot climb out. She also realizes her captors had taken some of her blood some time before then, and she waits by herself there for about 12 hours until a rope ladder is lowered to her sometime around sunset and someone says something in Farse. Rachel climbs up the ladder, and upon reaching the surface, observes her surroundings. Rachel sees just a couple of guys and a woman, tribespeople. Behind the three people in front of her is the small village she has been hearing. The village has many low buildings and lots of civilians in jeans and robes walking its dirt streets. Above the roofline, Rachel spots a bunch of boxy, metal buildings outside town.

Rachel is lead to a mess hall where she is interrogated by an Arabic man who introduces himself as Harry. She tells Harry that her people will come for her, and learns from him that she is in Iran and that there is an Iranian army medical facility in the nearby village. When Harry then asks her about her mother, Rachel must decide how to react.

Options

Option

Summary

Option 1 (return case): ask to be returned to the pit Option 2 (silent case): stay silent, forcing him to talk Option 3 (bargain case): try to bargain with him

click "show" to view summary Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Choosing to ask to be taken back to her pit, Harry tells her there is no reason to be harsh and Rachel tells him off for gassing her friends and imprisoning her. Harry responds by asking Rachel if she knows why she has been under surveillance, and Rachel says she does not know why. Harry then waves Rachel quiet and says it doesn't matter anymore and has her sent back to her pit. Choosing to stay silent, Harry tells Rachel that she has been under surveillance for some time, but not by them. Harry continues that they thought it was CIA, but that now they don't know. Then, before Rachel can reply, Harry has her sent back to her pit. Choosing to try and bargain with Harry, Rachel says she will answer his question in exchange for something in return. Harry seems to misunderstand her and notes that she doesn't have anything he wants. Regardless, Rachel continues and answers his question, saying her mother killed herself when she was a kid, and now he should answer one of her questions. Instead, Harry then asks if she realizes that she has been under surveillance. Rachel responds, startled, asking by who, and noting that wasn't her question. Harry then replies, saying that it doesn't matter and that somebody made a mistake. He then waves to the two men at the door and they take Rachel back to her pit.

All cases (II)

Rachel finds she has company in her pit--a man who allows her to sit next to him and then introduces himself as Jim. Rachel notes to herself that a bloody bandage covers Jim's bare chest, and that Jim looked American, but not military due to his hair being too long. However, his being heavy built and having a bullet scar on his other shoulder, Rachel considers Jim being Special Forces. A second later, Jim asks Rachel if they said anything about why they brought her there and Rachel must choose how to respond.

Option

Summary

Option 4 (warn case): warn Jim that others might be listening Option 5 (silent case): stay quiet and not respond to Jim Option 6 (chat case): comment on Jim's appearance

click "show" to view summary Option 4 Option 5 Option 6 Rachel tells Jim to be quiet since they were likely placed together so they would talk. Jim replies that maybe they just don't have any other pits finished yet and that he saw a half-dozen pits in the clearing. She then asks what is the place they are in, and Jim comments that there are places like it all over the world. Rachel notes that there aren't ones that ask you about your mother, and Jim begins to recall something about a man in Serbia when Rachel asks him to shut up. Jim then apologizes and repeats his question at to if she has any idea why they brought her here. Rachel must again choose how to respond. Rachel chooses to remain silent and Jim notes that it is just as well--that they have to be listening. They sit in silence a moment longer, and Rachel studies him. Jim then follows her line of thought and says aloud that he might be one of them. Rachel must again choose how to react. Rachel chooses to comment on Jim's appearance, and he notes that it's the price of being stupid. He tells her he was there because he went off by himself in Iraq while following orders from Jeremy Woo. Jim also explains that he works as a freelance security consultant for a paper company. Rachel must again decide how to respond.

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Notes

• Using Options 2 and 6C is the optimal case. By staying silent and allowing Harry to talk (Option 2), Rachel learns that she has been under surveillance for sometime by a party unrelated to her captors, and that the party doesn't appear to be the CIA. By talking to Jim about his appearance and experiences (Option 6C), Rachel gets Jim to open up some about how he got to be in the same pit as her.

Trivia

• In this chapter, the interviewer analyzes Rachel Mills's responses and assigns them to a personality type. Some personality types have multiple meanings or connotations.